Use each band intentionally
| Band | Strength | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| 2.4 GHz | Range and wall penetration | Congestion; use 20 MHz and 1/6/11 where applicable |
| 5 GHz | Speed and more channels | Wall loss and possible DFS radar events |
| 6 GHz | Clean, wide channels | Client and regulatory support; shorter reach |
Placement beats transmit power
Place APs centrally, openly and above furniture. Avoid metal cabinets, floor corners, microwave ovens and thick concrete. A second moderate-power AP with wired backhaul is usually more predictable than one high-power AP trying to reach every room.
Channel width and roaming
- Use 20 MHz on congested 2.4 GHz.
- 80 MHz on 5 GHz is fast, but 40 MHz may be more stable around many neighbors.
- Give adjacent APs different channels and avoid excessive coverage overlap.
- Matching SSID and security enables roaming, but the client decides when to move.
Measure the result
- Record RSSI, link rate and latency room by room.
- Compare throughput near the AP and in weak areas against a wired LAN server or iperf3.
- Track packet loss, jitter and call stability, not only peak speed.
Reality check The displayed link rate is not application throughput. Wi-Fi is a shared half-duplex medium affected by walls, interference and client capability.